Four people were arrested in connection with catalytic converter thefts in the Reseda area after a late-night vehicle pursuit, the Los Angeles Police Department said.
The incident unfolded in the early hours of Aug. 11. Around 2:50 a.m., Devonshire Area officers responded to a report of three men removing a catalytic converter from a parked Toyota Tundra in the 7400 block of Hesperia Avenue.
While en route, officers spotted a black Mercedes-Benz C-300 displaying a stolen license plate and attempted a traffic stop. The driver failed to yield, setting off a pursuit that was later handed off to the California Highway Patrol.
The chase ended in the 500 block of South Eastman Avenue, where CHP officers took four people into custody. A search of the vehicle turned up ski masks, burglary tools and eight catalytic converters that had been cut out, police said.
Three adults were booked on suspicion of grand theft: Mario Gonzalez, 22; Bryan Canul, 23; and Michael Pedraja, 23, all of Los Angeles. A 17-year-old boy was also arrested. Bail was set at zero for the adult suspects.
Catalytic converter thefts have become a growing concern across the San Fernando Valley in recent years. The vehicles targeted often sit with elevated exhaust systems, making the converters easy to cut out with angle grinders.